1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air suspension control apparatus.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an air suspension control apparatus for a vehicle such as an ambulance.
2. Background Information
In the event of an accident or medical emergency, it is essential that the patient be loaded into an ambulance as rapidly as possible so that the patient can be transported to the nearest hospital.
When the ambulance arrives at the scene, it is known to lower the ambulance suspension in order to facilitate loading of the patient. After the patient has been loaded into the ambulance, the vehicle suspension is pumped up to the driving level so that the patient can be transported to the hospital. However, a problem currently exists in that it normally takes a conventional system 2.50 minutes to reinflate the vehicle air springs to a safe transportation level. Clearly, this 2.50 minute time lag could prove fatal to a critically injured patient or a patient who is having a heart attack.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problem of the 2.50 minute time lag by the provision of a unique arrangement that permits the air springs to be rapidly inflated in as little as 1.5 seconds rather than the current 2.50 minutes.
In the present invention, when an ambulance is going down a road, the pressure in the charge tanks and the air springs is the same and is about 45 psi. When the ambulance is stopped to load or unload a patient, a discharge air signal is sent and the air spring pressure drops until the ambulance is fully lowered. The discharge signal also raises the charge tank air pressure to the full system pressure of about 100 psi. When the discharge air signal is stopped, the now higher air pressure of about 100 psi in the charge tanks rushes into the air springs, rapidly reinflating the air springs and raising the ambulance to its normal driving height in a few seconds, such as 1.50 seconds instead of 2.50 minutes in conventional systems. The charge tanks and the air springs then again go back to the same pressure of about 45 psi.
Therefore, it is a primary feature of the present invention to provide an air suspension control apparatus for a vehicle such as an ambulance that overcomes the problems associated with prior art air control arrangements.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an air suspension control apparatus for a vehicle such as an ambulance that enables the rapid raising of the suspension after loading or unloading.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by a consideration of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention contained herein.